


In Defense of Kodos

by SporadicUpdater



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Eugenics, Genocide, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, Lectures, Minor Character Death, No Sex, Other, Starfleet Academy, Story within a Story, Tarsus IV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-11-01 12:41:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10922016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SporadicUpdater/pseuds/SporadicUpdater
Summary: “My professor was kind enough to assign the ethical debate on the Kelvin to another class. I’ll admit, I really wish she didn’t. Now, because she decided to spare me, half my class was assigned the impossible – Defend Governor Kodos.”Jim Kirk gives a lecture on Kodos and Tarsus IV to his class.(Warnings probably stronger than needed but better safe than sorry)





	In Defense of Kodos

**Author's Note:**

> WARNINGS: Kodos feels Jim up and kisses him but there is no sex mentioned between Kodos and anyone. There is also the implication of women being used for pregnancy. Eugenics and Genocide I think aare givens. Also implied torture.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own star trek.

The auditorium broke out into the polite yet bored applause given from those who were required to be present. Then the mediator announced the next presenter and topic, “Cadet James Kirk. Tarsus IV. Defense of Governor Kodos”

Jim stood from his seat, straight backed and blank faced, and headed to the stage. Jim stood in the middle of the stage looking out at his audience. The room fell into a hush as those who knew Jim stared in astonishment at his cold appearance. A nod from his Ethics professor was all Jim needed before he launched into his presentation.

“My professor was kind enough to assign the ethical debate on the Kelvin to another class. I’ll admit, I really wish she didn’t. Now, because she decided to spare me, half my class was assigned the impossible – Defend Governor Kodos.” Jim kept his eyes forward, knowing he’d get points deducted for not making eye contact but also knowing eye contact would make him falter.

“I’m not normally one to believe in the impossible but there is no defense for Governor Kodos’ actions. My grade in this class now depends on defending a man who murdered thousands. He murdered men. He murdered women. He murdered elderly. He murdered children. He murdered all those people to settle his own morbid curiosity of eugenics. Now my professor, and this academy by association, asks me to defend him. Well I ask you, how can you possibly defend that?” Leonard McCoy held his breath as he watched Jim deliver his speech. Something told him this was going to be a rough ride.

Jim paused for a breath before continuing, “I guess if you want to know a man’s motives you have to start at the beginning. Governor Kodos ran for governor about a year before the famine struck. He, like most politicians, tried to raise his popularity in the community so as to increase his poll numbers. He decided to run an after-school program for 15 students from the school. He handpicked the kids himself. He wanted to give the kids a chance to expand their horizons outside of the school setting. He paid for their experiments out of pocket and the children loved him for it. Sadly, for Kodos, children don’t vote.

“So far Kodos seems like a nice guy. He might come across as a bit misogynistic when you take into account that of those 15 students only 3 he picked were girls. Maybe he is a bit xenophobic as well. See, only two of the kids he picked weren’t human. They were two Vulcan siblings on a cultural exchange tour. These kids had a fair age range from 8 to 18 and to hear Kodos tell it they were the smartest kids in the colony, some of them maybe in the galaxy. After Kodos lost the election he continued his after-school program.” Jim paused and took a sip of water.

“About a week after he lost the election Kodos decided he would do something fun with the kids in his program. He set up a contest for them. Create something indestructible. Create something that could destroy. If your indestructible invention survived your destructive invention you’d win. If your destructive invention destroyed your indestructible invention you’d win something else. I kind of like that, but then again I’ve always hated no-win scenarios so win-win scenarios are great.

“Anyway his 15 kids set off to do just that. 8 of them bring him something that can destroy. 6 of them bring him something indestructible. 1 brings him both. That one, his name was JT. He was Kodos’ favorite of the program kids. JT made a mold that could kill any crop. JT made a wheat that could survive any challenge.

“JT was a blond haired, blue eyed 14-year-old boy with an IQ above both of his Vulcan classmates, one of which was his senior. Kodos called JT son, and JT? Well he wasn’t sure what family was but Tarsus was where he thought he mind learn. JT called Kodos dad.” The entire auditorium was silent as they took in Jim’s tale. Some of them wondered if it was true, others knew it was, and others still knew JT was on the stage telling them it.

“A month later the crops on Tarsus started failing. Two weeks later Kodos forms a coup and takes over the colony. A week after that Kodos called half the colony into the town square. Within that group of 4381 people were 6 of the kids from Kodos’ after-school program.”

Jim’s face turned dark as he continued, “When I think of people who deserve to live I think of the elderly Kodos killed. Our elders are there to pass down wisdom and experience. I know of very few cultures who would consider that unworthy. Kodos, however, did find it unworthy. He killed all of them, including one of the greatest minds in the galaxy, Hoshi Sato.”

Jim ignored the muttering from the communication track cadets and forged on, “When I think of people who deserve to live I think of the working class. They are the ones who keep our civilizations moving. I don’t think they would be unworthy of life. Kodos, however, did find it unworthy. At least somewhat. See the working class were useful, when they agreed with Kodos. He killed the ones who didn’t.

“Kodos wiped out the poor. Kodos stashed away the rich. The only poor allowed to live where the ones willing to take up arms against their fellow man. The only rich slated to die where the ones with bleeding humanitarian hearts. Apparently, there was room for one group and not the other. Kodos thought it was the right decision. I can’t say I agree.

“I already said Kodos displayed minor misogynistic tendencies. Well I lied. They weren’t minor. Women age 15 to 35 where kept alive. To put it simple they were there to look pretty and get pregnant. In case you were wondering, those minor xenophobic tendencies turned out to be major as well. Every single worthy member of the colony was human. 83 non-Terrans were killed, that was every one of them on the colony.

“Everyone always talks about Kodos’ eugenics theory. No one talks about his natural selection experiment. See Kodos didn’t pick the adults for their ability to mate for superior genetics. He picked them to see how humans acted when put in a situation similar to when we first started developing society. He wanted to see survival of the fittest through humans.

“His eugenics theory was based on the kids he kept. Those beautiful 15 to 18-year-old girls were only for the young bright male minds that Kodos kept. You have to understand Kodos admired intelligence but only when that intelligence came with beauty.

“I told you that 6 of his 15 kids were piled into the square when the massacre happened. Of those six one was a male Vulcan age 15, one was a female Vulcan age 13, two were female humans one 13 the other 8, and two were human males. Of the two human males one was deemed ‘horribly unattractive’ he was 16, the other was a ‘dangerously rebellious’ 18-year-old. Would you believe me if I told you the other 9 boys Kodos kept were the Tarsus 9?”

Jim smiled at the shocked gasps that sounded throughout the auditorium. “Oh yeah, the Tarsus 9 were not in fact unworthy. They were probably the worthiest people on the planet. They were to be Kodos’ specimen in his eugenics experiment. The Tarsus 9 were 9 overly intelligent boys from the ages of 8 to 14. JT was the eldest and he still held Kodos’ heart.

“So it’s the day of the massacre and the Tarsus 9 follow Kodos to the square to see what’s going on with the other 6 kids. It’s hard to tell if they regret the decision or not. All I know is that the memory will haunt them forever. The words will never be forgotten, ‘The revolution is successful. But survival depends on drastic measures. Your continued existence represents a threat to the well-being of society. Your lives mean slow death to the more valued members of the colony. Therefore, I have no alternative but to sentence you to death. Your execution is so ordered, signed Kodos, Governor of Tarsus IV.’”

Jim gave his audience a sardonic smile, “The bastard didn’t even have the decency to show his face. See no one knew who Kodos was since Kodos wasn’t his real name.

“The Tarsus 9 were the only ones who knew who he was. When they saw the massacre the 9 ran back to Kodos and JT, completely distraught, questioned him. Kodos didn’t like the questions his golden boy was asking him so he locked the 9 boys in their new bedrooms. They didn’t get dinner that night, it was the first night of many. The 9 boys soon figured out that to get food they had to play nice.”

Jim grew uncomfortable but knew if he was going to drive his point home he need to tell it all, “Playing nice was easy at first, but somewhere along the way playing nice changed. Playing nice changed drastically. Kodos love his women but he had a thing for younger boys too. He especially had a thing for JT. But that comes later.

“JT grew suspicious of Kodos and took to snooping through his things. He was determined to understand why his father killed the other 6 kids, why he didn’t use JT’s grain to replenish the colony, and why he kept touching the 9 of them like he touched his wife. 

“He found a plan listing out how to poison the crops with the mold, how to manipulate the people into his control, studies of eugenics and natural selection, and the plan to only use the synthetic wheat after 3 years of famine. JT was appalled and went to confront the man he called father.

“Kodos was drunk. Really drunk and you’ll be glad to know this story doesn’t go where you’re thinking but it gets pretty close. Kodos pulled the boy down on his bed and started to pet JT’s hair. I don’t think JT will ever forget the words Kodos says. ‘I understand why the Greeks believe in gods now. When I look into your eyes I see the power of Zeus. Oh, child how I want that power.’ Kodos kissed him. Kodos was called away a few second later. Kodos left the room with a grope to the boy’s crotch, a pinch on the boy’s stomach and a slap on the boy’s ass as he moved about the room to make himself more presentable.

“JT was shaking as he went down the hall to the other boys’ rooms. It never struck him suspicious that Kodos locked them into their rooms but now the thought made him sick. The 9 of them ran. They avoided Kodos for 6 months but a week before Starfleet arrived JT was captured. When Starfleet did finally arrive, they found JT in the basement cellars. I’ll spare you the details of that.”

Jim looked around the room. People were silent except for the occasionally person who succumbed to tears. “I’ll ask again how can you possibly defend that?”  
Jim took a deep breath, “I didn’t give this speech to make my professor look bad. I didn’t give this speech to make anyone upset. I didn’t give this speech to point out flaws in Starfleet. I gave this speech because someone somewhere decided this was an ethical debate topic. Someone somewhere deemed something about this mass murder debatable. I don’t know who that is but I hope you know better than to listen to them again. Let me tell you one thing if Kodos’ loving, dotted on son can’t even defend his actions then sure as hell no one else can.

“I’m sure most of you have figured this out by now but JT stands for James Tiberius. If any of you were wondering that “Dangerously rebellious” 18-year-old was George Samuel Kirk Jr. I’d like to thank who ever decided to mollycoddle me by sparing me the horror of my father’s death by making me relive my brother’s, you really stepped in it Admiral. I know you only have the best of intentions, and I’ll forgive you this time. I think it’d be best if you just stopped while I still like you.” Captain Pike closed his eyes before turning to look at the guilty and horrified expression of Admiral Nogura. Pike couldn’t help but cringe. It seemed every time Nogura thought he was helping his protégé’s son he made matters worse.

Jim turned to his professor who looked stunned, “I think I rest my case even if it isn’t the one you wanted me to argue.”

**Author's Note:**

> Almost didn't want to post this but I figured I might as well.


End file.
